


Pretend

by littledragon94



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2015-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-12 06:24:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4468634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littledragon94/pseuds/littledragon94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Nothing was the same since the Battle, no matter how much Lavender Brown tried to pretend otherwise." For the "One Hour, Two Drabbles" challenge 2013, along with "Mirror".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pretend

Nothing was the same since the Battle, no matter how much Lavender Brown tried to pretend otherwise.

She was no longer the sweet and chirpy girl that had been, only focused on how her hair was looking and whether that hot guy in the year above was checking her out. She had been forced to grow up. She had fought a war, and she had the scars to prove it.

She tried to pretend that she didn’t have them, tried to go out shopping, but the stares made her leave without buying anything. She’s not even sure what’s worse – the expressions of horror, or the unspoken pity in people’s eyes as she passed.

She fought for their freedom for Merlin’s sake! When You-Know-Who had frightened the Wizarding World into their homes, she had been among those who fought to save them.

Her scars should have been recognised for what they were – sacrifice.

But instead of gratitude, she was met with repulsion.

The scars twisted the skin beneath her left eye, down her cheek and neck. She couldn’t do anything about them, Merlin knows she’d tried. But werewolf scars were cursed.

Lavender, like Bill Weasley, was stuck with the mark of her misfortune forever. Where others had mental scars and emotional trauma, Lavender had a physical reminder of how close she had come to death.

Sometimes she wished she had died instead. That someone else had lived instead of her. There were so many who had died in the Battle of Hogwarts who were better suited than she to keep living.

Colin Creevey, for one. Admittedly, she had found him and his camera irritating while they were at school. But the war changed her perception of people, and kindness and friendliness was a comfort. His eagerness and excitability were a reminder of the good times. She had cried when she saw his body lying there after the battle, so tiny and fragile.

Then there was Fred, another one who should have lived. Always a laugh, even when she pretended otherwise. He and his brother were the Gryffindor clowns, the sports heroes and the secret geniuses. Fred had an entire family: brothers and sister, mother and father. They mourned him, but Lavender only had her parents.

Her parents, who flinched every time they saw the side of her face, who did all that they could to discourage visitors to their once perfect home and perfect family.

Then Parvati had stormed in and taken Lavender away from them, to live her own life where she didn’t have to hide when she was in the house.

But Lavender still hid. Because when she was alone she didn’t have to pretend.

 


End file.
